Saint John Family excited to receive new Habitat home

Telegraph Journal April 27,2002
Sandra Davis

Paula Corkum has a list of goals taped to her refrigerator that she's been diligently meeting for the past two years.

Only two remain. One of them is to buy a house.

Thanks to Habitat for Humanity, Saint John Region Inc., Ms Corkum, 35, is just a few months shy of realizing her dream of owning a home.

She and her three children have been chosen from 35 applicants to receive a brand new three-bedroom bungalow to be built on Mount Pleasant Avenue in Saint John's East Side.

The home is far from a gift, however.

'It's not a handout, it's a hand up," says the single mom who is expected to pay a mortgage and taxes. "It's just a little help."

She must also provide 375 hours volunteering for Habitat, be it building her own home, working in the office, or some combination of the two. Her family members must provide an additional 125 hours volunteering in some way.

Ms. Corkum's volunteer commitment doesn't stop there. She's been involved with the North End Family Housing Co-op since moving to her Victoria Street apartment more then a dozen years ago. All this is in addition to holding down two jobs: she works as a teacher's assistant and is also a doctor's receptionist.

"I've never owned a home. I'm so excited, I can't wait. When I was told we were the family chosen to get a home, I called my children. They were screaming 'we got the house, we got the house' " said Ms. Corkum.

The kids, age 13, 12, and 11, already have paint for their rooms picked out. Twelve-year old Steven, who originally wanted black, has settled for green; Brandon, 11, wants light blue and 13-year-old Lacey has picked out purple.

Ms. Corkum and the children have been making all the major decisions concerning their new home. They've been busy tweaking the house's main plan and are down to choosing siding colour.

Construction of the Corkums' new house is expected to get underway by mid-May.

The address will be 264 Mount pleasant Ave.

"To the right, I can see the water and right over to Nova Scotia," she says.

This is the fifth home built by the Saint John chapter of Habitat for Humanity since 1998. The selection committee looks at three criteria: the need for afe and affordable housing, the ability to pay for a Habitat home and the family's willingness to participate in building the home.

The Corkums should be into their new home by Christmas.